No Longer Lost To Light
by ILOV3BUTT3R
Summary: (Image belongs to Tumblr user hello-hochee.) Eris Morn was plagued by whispers for years after her escape from Crota. Now, thanks to a dead fireteam, the whispers have stopped, but now she will have to trade places and comfort the lone survivor as he struggles to deal with his loss. But, is she developing feelings for him, and vice versa? (OC x Eris Morn, eventual smut).
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Destiny or any of the characters in this story save for my OC's. All of that is property of Bungie and friends. Also, I acknowledge that some of you may feel that some of my story variates from the original storyline, so I want to make it known that this is slightly AU, but still contains most of the original story. So, without any further ado, let's begin.**_

 **No Longer Lost To Light**

 **Chapter 1: Consquences**

 **Eris Morn**

When Eris had heard of Crota's fall, she felt such elation. The sorceress was extremely relieved at the news that her whispers would no longer wake her in the middle of her sleep, and felt obligated to congratulate the guardians responsible. When she reached the courtyard, she was intrigued at the sight of everyone crowding around one ship. She had been expecting six guardians of varying statures (a few hunters, a couple titans, and maybe a warlock) to be responsible for the commotion. She was not expecting a lone guardian, much less a warlock, to have been able to accomplish such a task. So when said guardian finally walked out of the ship, with his ghost on his shoulder, to say that she was shocked would have been an understatement.

'How is this possible?' she thought to herself as she sized up the guardian. 'There's got to be some other piece of the puzzle I'm missing.' She then noticed that the guardian held a small bag, which he then presented to the Vanguard. Zavala took the sack and opened it, and the three ex-guardians peered inside with interest. However, their expressions quickly turned to shock, then disappointment, and then sadness. Even Cayde, always cheery and upbeat, was overtaken by a look of depression, a strange expression for an Exo.

"All of them?" Zavala asked. The warlock nodded, grief evident in his posture. "How did it happen?" Ikora questioned, to which the guardian hung his head in sorrow. "They couldn't get away quick enough," his Ghost stated, its voice hollow and pained.

Eris, with her question answered in the worst way possible, was taken aback with shock. Five guardians had once again been lost to that hellish dimension of darkness and evil. She immediately was overcome with pity for the lone guardian, and stepped forward. He turned around, facing her. It was then she got a look at the contents of the bag: five dead ghosts, cracked and devoid of any light.

"How did it happen?" Eris inquired. The guardian looked down, then at the four ex-guardians, and walked away. "He tried as hard as he could to save them, but it only took one hit from his sword," his Ghost responded. "I still don't know how he managed to take down the bastard himself, but he won't talk to me or anyone else at all." Eris watched the guardian walk up the steps toward the apartments, stop and turn around, at which his Ghost said, "I need to go check on him. I'll spill the details later." He then hurried off to join his companion, after which Cayde spoke up.

"How did he manage to avenge his team solo?" the Exo wondered aloud. Eris still had no clue to the identity of the survivor, and asked Ikora, "Who was that?" Ikora slowly turned around, and, in a soft voice, answered "His full name is Jax-42, but all the other guardians call him 'Creeping Death'."

Eris's look of curiosity stayed, so the Warlock Vanguard continued. "He destroyed the Black Garden singlehandedly, captured Skolas on his own, and now he's destroyed Crota. He practically turned the tide of the war all on his own." Eris then recalled a guardian in similar armor coming to her for guidance in preventing Crota's return. She was astounded that one warrior could have accomplished so much, and was about to ask how when Zavala added, "He used to be so talkative and respectful, regardless of his high-level powers…now, though, he's changed. I could sense the grief emanating from his body."

He looked at the doorway where the guardian had left, pursing his lips, before turning around to Eris and saying "You are the only one I know who can relate to him. We can't lose another guardian to depression, or worse, self-immolation." Eris recoiled at the thought of the soldier killing himself, appalled at the possibility, before realizing she had similar thoughts after her experience in the pit. "Please talk to him and see what you can do," Zavala pled.

She nodded without a thought, and began to walk after the guardian when Ikora called, "Eris…do anything you have to, but don't let him do anything like that." She turned, seeing the look of despair and heartache on the Vanguard's face. Seeing Ikora like this nearly broke Eris's heart, and she quickly hurried up the steps. 'How close is the Vanguard to this guardian?' she wondered as she walked reached to guardian's door.

 _ **So, how was it? Please rate and review, because I really want to know how you guys and gals want this story to continue. Thanks in advance. Peace.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey there, for those who are actually reading this story. I'm glad those who reviewed my story gave positive reviews saying that they are interested. Also, I'll try to keep the characters' behaviors close to what they are in the actual game. I noticed I did this with Eris a bit, and maybe Zavala and Cayde. I would appreciate pointing out some errors along these lines so I can fix them.**_

 _ **Anyways, let's continue. The disclaimer is the same as in the first chapter: I own only my OC''s, the rest belongs to Bungie.**_

 **No Longer Lost To Light**

 **Chapter 2:**

 **Clyde (Jax's Ghost)**

"I'll translocate the door if I have to," sputtered Clyde. The Ghost had been locked out of his guardian's bedroom for quite some time now, and he was starting to get tired of Jax's silence.

As soon as they had reached Jax's apartment, the soldier had slammed the door behind them, and when questioned by his Ghost, trudged into bedroom, shut the door, and locked Clyde outside. The little AI didn't know what exactly had changed his master, but he knew it was about Fireteam Commanche.

Right as the Ghost was about to open the bedroom door, there was a knock at the front door. His curiosity hooked, Clyde turned around and floated to the front door. Peering through the eyehole, he was slightly surprised by who was at the door: Eris Morn.

"What is she…?" Clyde wondered aloud. He then shook himself, opening the door.

"Hello, Eris. What can I help you with?" Clyde questioned. He had a small suspicion, but wanted further confirmation.

"I was asked by Ikora to ensure Jax's wellbeing was not in any danger, physically or mentally," she replied. Clyde, having his suspicions confirmed, replied "He's not taking it well. He locked the damn door and I was about to break it open with you showed up." She paused, pursing her lips, before asking "Let me try."

Clyde merely snorted. "I doubt that would accomplish much, but you can give it a go, I suppose."

Eris walked to the bedroom door, pulled something out of one of her armor's many pockets, and fiddled around with it. After a few seconds, the door suddenly slid open, revealing Jax meditating.

"Oh…" Clyde muttered. "I kinda feel like an asshole now." Eris glanced at him and shook her head slightly, saying "I doubt he could have heard you anyways."

Jax's meditative bubble shimmered out of existence, and the Guardian stood up. Glancing over his shoulder, he sighed, a strangely human characteristic, and turned around. He looked at Clyde, his expression hidden behind his helmet, before turning to Eris.

"Greetings, Guardian, "Eris said. He cocked his head. "You do remember me, do you not? You came to me after being tasked with preventing Crota from returning to this realm."

Jax just stared at her, and Clyde started to wonder if maybe he couldn't speak from an injury. Eris seemed puzzled by his unresponsiveness as well.

"Eris here was asked by Ikora to make sure you're still okay underneath that thick helmet of yours, which just so happens to be a question I would also like to know the answer to," Clyde probed.

The silent warrior continued to stare at the two, before lowering his head and turning to the window. Eris looked at the Ghost, before instructing "Well, keep me informed if he does anything dangerous. No one wants to lose him." She started towards the front door, before a deep, rumbly voice stopped her.

 **Eris Morn**

"I appreciate the thought, Ms. Morn. Please tell Ikora that I'm thankful for her sending someone to check on me." Eris turned around, almost gaping, before gathering herself and replying, "Erm…you're welcome, Guardian."

He turned around and looked the former Guardian in the eye, before reaching for his helmet. As he began to take it off, he started saying "I do indeed remember you, and I would also thank you for the help in taking down Crota and Omnigul." He finally removed his helmet, and Eris got a good look at the soldier's face.

She knew she probably looked like a "deer in headlights", as she had heard some humans say, but the Warlock's facial features captivated her attention. She had no clue he was an Exo, and yet she could have mistaken him for a human were it not for the defining metallic and robotic characteristics found in his kind.

Jax's "skin" was a very pale color, his cheekbones seemed to have been sculpted by the finest of hands, and his ears were only slightly more pointed than a human's. However, she completely lost herself in his eyes. They were a brilliant blue, with a glint that made them seem almost human-like. As she stared deeper, she thought she could see a storm of emotions in them.

She then realized where she was, and jolted herself back to reality. She noticed that the Exo was looking at her with his head tilted and "eyebrows" raised.

"Do you require anything else, Ms. Morn?" She considered the question, before replying "No, I suppose that will be all."

 **Clyde**

She turned around and started towards the door, but she then turned around, facing the other two. "I understand what you are going through, Guardian. If you require any assistance or guidance, I will be at my vendor."

He looked at her with a ghost of a smile on his almost pure white face. "I appreciate the offer, Eris. And please, call me Jax." He then grinned, before saying, "Or would you rather I refer to you as Crota's Bane?"

She simply stared at him, before sighing and turning to Clyde. "Keep me posted." He "nodded", watching her walk out the door. The Ghost turned to his master, saying, "You like her."

Jax turned to the little machine with a feigned look of confusion. "What ever do you mean?" Clyde sighed, before floating off to rest on his favorite shelf. "You know what I mean. We share a mental link, you know. I can tell what's going through your mind, including your feelings for other people."

Jax stared at him, a quizzical eyebrow raised. Clyde continued, saying "Here's what I saw: you were staring at her ass as she was leaving, you were analyzing her lips and cheekbones, and yet most of your attention was on her eyes." He paused, before finalizing his argument: "You like her, and you don't want to admit it."

The Guardian shrugged, then hung his head dejectedly. "It doesn't really matter, does it? I mean, no human or Awoken would ever want to romanticize with an Exo, much less one like me." He started slipping of the rest of his armor before a mechanical voice pierced the silence.

"I saw her looking at you the same way, if it means anything."

Jax looked at his Ghost with mild bewilderment for a few second, before chuckling quietly to himself. "If you say so…"

 **So, what do you think? Too much/little of something? Leave some reviews about what you want to see, and I will do as much as I can to incorporate it into the story. Also, shoutout to my favorite author (and my writing inspiration) Christian Knight, author of Halo Reach: An Unexpected Alliance for a good bit of advice in which direction I should go. Go check 'em out for some great stories.**

 **Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**So sorry for not posting this yet. I've had very little time to work on this chapter because I'm still trying to get everything ready for scholarship applications and other stuff, so thanks to those who are still reading this (especially those with the reviews, positive and negative and funny). Speaking of reviews, I've been told by some that this story is going along nicely.**_

 _ **However, I have received a review asking who Clyde is. I believe I specifically stated that Clyde is Jax's Ghost, because I like to think that guardians name their Ghosts. No, Clyde is not a typo of Cayde (even though Cayde is awesome), Clyde is a main character in this story.**_

 _ **Also, I realized that I may have called Eris a Warlock in the previous chapter, even though she was a Hunter. In this story, she was somehow converted into a Warlock to practice Hive magic. Now, let's continue with the plot.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Destiny or any of its characters, that belongs to Bungie, yadda yadda, I only own my OC's.**_

 **No Longer Lost To Light**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Eris Morn**

 _All she could hear were the fading screams of hordes upon hordes of thralls chasing her as Toland half-dragged her to his supposed safe zone. Her left leg had been torn open by too many claws to count, her chest had been scratched and stabbed so much that her skin showed in several areas, and her helmet had been shredded leaving her head bare. Toland showed similar signs of battle, but he somehow retained his boundless energy Eris knew him for, even though he barely said anything now._

 _As they reached the last lantern, she ventured a look back, hoping to see some kind of proof that some of their team was alive. Even though her new eyes gave her "night vision", she couldn't discern anything giving her hope, only endless thralls and acolytes searching for the two guardians._

" _They can't smell us anymore," Toland suddenly spoke up. "I managed to weave our path through the remains of the lanterns enough to break up the trail."_

 _Eris let out a long breath and stretched her limbs—until she felt something pull and fell down. Toland collapsed beside her, panting slightly, and that was when she got a good look at the wound in his side._

" _I take it the Swordbearer nicked you?"_

 _He looked at her, confused, before staring down at the blood streaming out his side. "Just a little bit, but the bite of those swords can leave nasty wounds." He snorted, before adding, "They might smell better if they took proper care of them, but hey, what can I expect from undead aliens?"_

 _Eris let out a short snort of laughter, before pulling herself up. "We need to get going," she began. "The Thralls will catch our scent again, and we'll be waiting like lambs for the slaughter." Gesturing to the faint light in the distance, she continued "We need to get back to the Vanguard—" before a howl interrupted her._

 _Toland glanced behind them, then turned back. "It's just up there. Once we're out of their reach and back into the light, we'll be fine." He started towards the circle of light, when an enormous sword slammed down centimeters from the grizzled warlock's face._

Eris bolted out of her bed covered in sweat and panting. She looked around her room before sighing and getting up to get something to eat. _'Thank the Goddess,'_ she thought. She had hated sleeping ever since that fateful mission in the pit.

Getting dressed, she started to reminisce about to the events from the previous day. Crota's death, Fireteam Excalibur—it all seemed so distant. She wished she could forget it all had happened.

' _No need to dwell on that,'_ she thought. _'Ikora still needs that report on Wizard teleportation. Might as well add that to the agenda.'_

Due to her quarters being separate from the Guardian apartments, the walk to the Hall was a bit of a long one, but she did not mind. It gave her some peace and calm, since no one else walked the same paths she did. At least, not previously.

Unfortunately, as Eris was lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice a shadow coming around the corner, colliding headfirst with its owner. She began falling backwards, but before she could hit the ground, strong hands caught her.

"I must apologize, I was not paying attention…" she droned off as she caught a good look at her rescuer: the last member of Fireteam Excalibur, Jax-42.

"It's no matter, Ms. Morn." That deep, rumbling voice shook her out of thoughts as he lifted her upright. "I too should have been more careful." Straightening his robes, he looked at her with a slight smile on his face. "What exactly brings you to this part of town?"

"I was, er, on my way to see Ikora. I have reports to turn in." She then noticed something strange. "The patrol roster for Mars has you listed for today, yet you are here." Crossing her arms, she continued, "I believe an explanation is in order."

He chuckled, a rather calming sound in Eris' opinion. "Shaxx said he wanted someone to help test out a new Crucible mode. He told me it reminded him of football."

"Football?" Eris questioned, causing Jax to tilt his head slightly and raise a quizzical eyebrow. "You've never heard of it? An interesting sport from the Golden Ages of humanity, but the rules have somehow stood the test of time. Maybe if you come by, I can teach you."

"Perhaps later." She started off on her original path before the Guardian spoke up again. "Hey, um…" causing Eris to turn around. "Would you mind some company? I've got to check in with Shaxx and Arcite for a reward for helping, and since we're both heading to the hall, I was wondering if you would like someone to talk with?"

Eris was surprised to say the least. Never in her entire career as a guardian did she think someone would want to talk with her in a non-professional manner. "Well, I suppose that a little company wouldn't hurt."

He threw a slight grin at her, walking up to her side. They walked in silence for a minute, but then he decided to break the silence, something she was grateful for.

"If you don't mind asking, how did you get those?" he said, gesturing to her eyes. "A Hive ritual adapted for Guardian use so I could escape the pit. Toland…" she replied, zoning out after mentioning her former partner.

Jax noticed her pause, saying "It's fine. You don't have to go into detail." He looked ahead, sighed, then continued: "I read all the reports, since I was tasked with finding ways to get in and around that hellhole."

Eris was unsurprised. She had looked at his records as well, and had seen a great deal that intrigued her. It was only natural that, being Fireteam leader, he would have been the most intelligent and strategic of Fireteam Excalibur. But he also was an extremely powerful warrior, and were it not for his bond and robes, she could have mistaken him for a Titan he was so tall. His record both in the Crucible and out in the field was impressive.

"I too have seen the reports regarding your activities of the past," she spoke up, surprising him. Jax did not expect to get much of a reaction from the silent and cryptic Awoken sorceress. "Some of them do seem a little too far-fetched, however." He raised a questioning eyebrow (something uncharacteristically human of an Exo), asking, "And what exactly do you have doubts about, Mrs. Morn?"

"You singlehandedly slayed the House of Devils' Archon within two days of your resurrection. That alone would catch the eye, but then you somehow managed to destroy the Black Garden's blight not more than six weeks later. Also on your own, might I add." Jax could tell that she was probing him for answers, but he sensed no harm in her intentions, so he decided to fulfill her demand answers.

"I was surprised about that as well, but on the other hand, I think Clyde had to revive me quite a few times before I managed to kill the Garden." Before Eris could respond, a voice from inside Jax's robes spoke up: "24."

"Clyde?" Jax reached into a pocket in his robe, pulling out the aforementioned Ghost. "24 times, and that's not counting when you were screwing around with the new sparrow." He turned to look at Eris. "I tell you, this one's almost too much for me. His little daredevil antics drive me insane, and that's not even the worst of it!"

The Awoken sorceress turned her gaze to the Warlock, who seemed to have a sheepish look on his face. _"He seems to act more human than normal. What did the Traveler do to this one?"_ she wondered. Before she could further think about it, a voice jolted her from her thoughts.

 **Jax-42**

"Hello, Eris. I see that you've brought one of my students with you," Ikora stated in her usual neutral tone. Despite how the other two Guardian classes view her, the Warlock Vanguard was like a mother figure to Jax. He saw his Vanguard teacher in the highest light of respect. Of course, there were times when he had disobeyed her, including when he set out after the Black Garden. But no matter how angered she would get at his sometimes reckless behavior, she would calm down and try to listen to what he had to say.

"Good to see you too, ma'am," he responded. He glanced around, before setting his sights on someone waving their arms at him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I kinda need to talk to a certain Crucible handler and his Quartmermaster." He walked over to Shaxx, who he noticed was holding something in his hands that looked suspiciously like a gun. "Alright, what have you got for me now, you big oaf?"

Even though he couldn't see his face, he knew the titan was giving him his famous mix of a frown and a glare. "I found this piece of devil's work laying in a heavily guarded outpost on Mars. I thought it was a piece of absolute shit, but it's much more than it seems." With that, he handed Jax the weapon. "It's an auto rifle." He was unimpressed, but something seemed off.

"No, it's not an auto rifle." Shaxx looked around, like he didn't want anyone to see. "Come on, let's go test this out." The Exo was intrigued now. What was so special about this weapon?

Ten minutes later, they arrived at a practice zone where Shaxx sometimes held simulation tests for Guardians to train. "Okay, so why are we here?" Jax asked. "To show you the full ability of this thing." He flipped a switch and simulation Fallen started appearing around the Warlock.

Thinking quickly, he aimed at the rifle at the nearest enemy and planted his finger on the trigger. A burst of three rounds came out. _"A Pulse Rifle?"_ the Exo thought. The burst killed the Dreg, but the rest of the Fallen simulators dropped behind cover. As he scanned the room, Jax noticed he was surrounded in a reddish hue. Before he could further question it, a Stealth Reaver Vandal appeared from nowhere and slashed at him, dropping his shields halfway.

He reactively struck out at the Vandal with a fist of glowing Arc energy, stunning the soldier. He quickly fired two bursts into its head, killing it. It was then he noticed that his shield was charging at a rather quick pace.

Shaxx stopped the simulation, and dropped down beside the Warlock. "Now you see? That thing has a lot of potential, and I could think of no one better to have it." Jax turned to the grizzled Titan with a look of surprise.

"Me? I—" It was then he noticed the dried blood on the front of the weapon, near the suspiciously-sharp bayonet. "Why is this on here?" he said, gesturing to the claret-stained barrel.

Shaxx sighed, saying, "Read the inscription on the handle." The Warlock did so, and was met with a sight that caused him to go cold inside.

" _Red Death."_

"Uh-uh. No way in hell am I going to take that." The Warlock started walking away, before Shaxx grabbed his arm. "Jax, you listen to me. That weapon has an ability that most Guardians would kill for. In fact, some did!" Taking a deep breath, he continued: "Just because something may seem ugly, distorted, and marred on the outside doesn't mean it's not worth it." He paused, and before Jax could say anything else, he laid down his trump card.

"Besides, if you're going to turn down a weapon because of its past and scars, what does that say about you and Eris?" The Warlock looked at him with a shocked expression on his face. "Wait, what? What are you saying? Why did you bring her into this?" Shaxx shook his head.

"You know, I know a lot more about what happens in this tower than you might think, Guardian. Some of that knowledge concerns you and my sister." To say Jax was surprised would have been an understatement. "Eris is what?"

"She's my sister, and I'll be damned if I let you two get together if that's how you're going to treat her." Jax then realized the full meaning of what he had said. Sighing, he looked around the room, before saying, "Fine, I'll take it. I apologize about what I said. I had no idea…"

Shaxx tilted his helmet, before snorting. "Don't worry, I know you didn't, but you can tell a lot about someone in the small things they say and do."

Jax was about to press more questions, but Clyde stepped in, saying "If you two don't mind, I just received a message from Zavala that he wants to talk to both of you." Pausing, he added "He also said that it's urgent, so I'd hurry up."

Jax looked at Shaxx, who shrugged. "What the hell? Let's go see what my idiot commander has for us this time."

 **And that does it! I hope you like what I did with Red Death. I thought that would be pretty cool, since it's despised by the Vanguard more than any other weapon Xur sells. Anyways, you know the drill. Rate and review, the whole shebang. Peace!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so I've received some good stuff about this story. One thing I don't like about it though is how Jax developed. In my original plan, he was supposed to be some sort of deep, dark and mysterious Exo with a taciturn personality. Instead, he sounds a little too sheepish at times in my opinion, so don't be surprised at the sudden character change.**

 **Anyways, let's pick up with Ikora and Eris.**

 **Eris Morn**

"I did not think you one to fraternize much, Eris," Ikora stated suddenly. The Warlock Vanguard had been staring at Eris for a bit now, as the Awoken sorceress had been looking in the direction that her newfound companion had walk away for quite some time.

"Hmm?" Eris suddenly turned around, a blank expression on her face. Ikora sighed.

"Never mind." She turned back to the reports in front of her. "So, what do you have for me?" Eris shook herself out of her thoughts before answering, "As expected, Hive activity has been reduced significantly since Crota perished." Taking a sip of her tea, she continued, "the whispers have since been silenced, so I believe it is safe to assume the Hive will not be attempting something of that magnitude for quite some time."

Ikora nodded. "Good, good. It's time we had a break from the Darkness." As she went to stand up, she spoke. "Perhaps you can use it to spend more time with my trainee. Traveler knows he needs the company." Eris almost choked on her tea.

"So I take that as a yes?" Her friend was looking at her with a faint mischievous smile on her face. "I…do not know what it is you speak of, ma'am," to which Ikora replied, "I'm almost certain you do, because I do." She sighed, looked around, and leaned in.

"I don't often ask for favors, especially from those I still owe favors to," she whispered. "But he has me worried, and I won't be here at the Tower for a few days. The Queen and the Speaker have agreed on a treaty between the Reef and the Last City." Eris was confused.

"What can I do to help, Ikora?" she questioned. The Warlock Vanguard pursed her lips.

"Jax isn't like most Exo's that you've met. Whereas leave their humanity and feelings behind, Jax prefers to listen to his emotions. He believes that is what makes humans so powerful with the powers of the light, and that emotions regulate the flow of energy in a guardian." She smiled, remembering when she first met the energetic guardian in the hall. "He draws from those emotions because he wants to be able to feel. He misses his old life, and that brings negative emotions in too."

"What he needs is a shoulder to lean on, one that he trusts. He trusts you, Eris." Eris was stunned at these words. "How? We are barely acquainted," she protested. "He speaks highly of you. He told me that, at times, your advice was the difference between life and death." Ikora paused, and before the former Huntress could interrupt her, she finished her argument. "Clyde could tell you more, if you could get him from Jax. What I'm saying though, is that maybe it's time you both open up more."

Eris was speechless. She shook her head, not quite believing what Ikora was saying. "Ikora…" She hung her head. "You know as well as I that seclusion is the best option for me. No bonds means no pain, and I can't deal with any more. Not since Toland…" she droned off, lost in the memory of her former partner.

"Eris?" Ikora asked worriedly, but she was already reliving those painful memories.

 _Flashback to the Hellmouth Infiltration (Continuation of Eris' Dream_

Eris yanked him back and they hid behind a pillar. She dared to take a peek out from behind shelter, and her eyes widened in horror at what she saw: twenty meters away from their hiding spot stood the dreaded dealer of death himself, Crota.

A thunderous voice penetrated the eerie silence. "I doubt your Vanguard will be hearing from you." Eris' heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest, she was so frightened. She turned to Toland, about to say something, before realizing he was gone.

'He ditched me!' she thought. 'He just up and left.' Taking a deep breath, the Awoken Hunter stepped out from behind her only protection, hoping he couldn't see her. How wrong she was.

"Ah, the little girl who killed my Deathsinger." His voice sounded even, as though he were merely chatting with her. "Where is your other friend?"

"I do not know of his whereabouts, and even if I did, I would never reveal them to a foul and dark creature such as yourself." Eris tried to sound brave, but her voice betrayed her, and she knew he could tell. His rumbling chuckles were all the proof she needed.

"Then I'll settle for having you as my next trophy. My father would be pleased, despite the contempt he holds me in." Eris was confused. This thing before her had a father? She hoped the galaxy would never see such a terrifying thing. The sword raised up, and before it could come down, a voice yanked her from her dream.

 **Ikora Rey**

"Eris?!" Ikora was scared. She had never seen the young Awoken woman just fade away like that, and it scared her. She shook her friend again, and this seemed to do the trick.

Eris collapsed against her little table, breathing heavily. "What happened?" Ikora asked. "Flashback," came the answer. "They have become more common since Crota was slain."

"What?! And you didn't tell me or Shaxx?" Ikora exclaimed, startled at the revelation. "You need to let someone know about things like this, whether it be me, your brother, or your favorite Warlock." She said that last part with a little smile, to which Eris squinted at her (squinting with 3 eyes was slightly different, but same concept).

"Enough. I am a fully grown woman, not that little Awoken Hunter from long ago. I can—." She didn't get to finish, as Zavala had walked up to the two, and chose to clear his throat at that moment.

"If you two are done bickering, I believe someone is waiting to speak to you, Eris." He motioned towards Jax and Shaxx leaning against the railing, watching the heated argument with raised eyebrows.

The Awoken Titan walked away, before turning over his shoulder and shouting "Also, I want you two, Cayde, Shaxx, and your Warlock in the War Room in ten minutes. Lakshmi just received word from the Cabal base on Phobos that they have a situation, and the Speaker and the Council have agreed to deem it Top Priority, so I'd like to not piss off the old man."

Ikora was about to say something when she felt a presence behind her. Turning around, she was greeted with the aforementioned Stormcaller. "Ma'am, what are the Cabal doing sending an SOS to us? Last I checked, we weren't exactly on even terms," Jax probed. Before she could think of an answer, Eris chose that moment to intervene.

"I have an extremely dark feeling about this." She was fiddling with her rock, rubbing her thumbs over each crevice she could find. "Something does not make sense. This is too quick. The Hive cannot have a retaliation plan this soon, unless…" She gasped, covering her hand with her mouth.

"Pardon me, but I need to visit the library." She began sliding past the group when she felt a tug on her robe. She whipped around in a fury.

"What?" she yelled. Jax raised an eyebrow.

"I was wondering if I could tag along again. I mean, the library is kind of lonely." Eris' expression changed to one of shock, then to confusion, and finally a hint of a smile appeared on her face. Ikora smirked.

" _I knew this would work out somehow,"_ she thought.

"I suppose a little company would not be too much a nuisance, Warlock," Eris admitted. She then hurried off. Jax scampered to catch up to her quick pace.

"You think those two have a chance?" Ikora turned to Shaxx, before sighing. "I should hope so, because they need someone like each other. Old wounds take a while to heal." A thought crossed her mind.

"Speaking of which, are you and the Commander on speaking terms yet?" Shaxx seemed to fidget in his armor.

"Never mind. I have my answer." She shook her head, and began to walk to the War Room. "It seems we all need a little healing once in a while," she muttered as she stepped into the chamber, the Crucible Handler right behind her.

 **Aaaaaand that does it for chapter 4! So, what do you guys think? Two chapters in one week! Man, spring break is a gift. Also, I guess my writing gets much more fluent when Iron Maiden is playing (Hallowed Be Thy Name, anyone?).**

 **Anyways, I want to pose a shoutout to a story that I really wish would be continued. It's called "Five Nights At Freddy's: Shadow Wars", and it's by my favorite author on this site, Christian Knight. They have inspired my two stories greatly (despite Destiny not being a topic of their writings), and I feel they are underappreciated. So, go check them out.**

 **In other news, I have a new story started. It's called Lost Feelings, and it's a FNAF fanfic. I am really intrigued by the idea of machines and organics in a romance, so sue me if you disagree.**

 **Anyways, peace out, my fellow Fanfictioners! Together we stand!**


	5. Please Stay Tuned

_**Look, I apologize for not updating. I didn't bring my laptop on a trip to Europe, so I forgot all about this. Thanks for sticking with it, and I'll have a full chapter here soon. In the meantime though, here's another little piece of Eris Morn's nightmare, most likely the end.**_

 **Eris Morn**

 _All thoughts on the subject were driven from her mind as the beast walked towards her, slowly raising his hideous blade. Right as he seemed about to bring it down, a rocket came out of nowhere and slammed into Crota's side. He stumbled around, before regaining his balance and turning to the direction it had come from._

" _Coward! Come stand before me and face down your enemy like a true warrior!"_

 _Silence followed, before another rocket came streaming from behind the giant and into his back. Crota fell to the ground, before roaring out his anger._

" _Eris, run!" came a voice from behind the dark Prince. Eris looked and saw Toland standing there, Gjallarhorn loaded and a defiant look on his beaten face. She took off sprinting as fast as her legs would carry her. As she reached the circle though, she realized Toland wasn't behind her._

" _Toland!" she screamed. The warlock looked at her, before shouting, "Go! Tell the Vanguard!"_

 _She tried running towards him, but she seemed to hit an invisible wall. "What are you doing?!"_

" _I'm making sure someone can get out of here! Now go!" With that, an updraft took her out of the chasm, kicking and screaming at whatever force was carrying her to take her back. In a flash of light, she was dropped out in the middle of the moon. She wished she could cry, but all the came out was a bunch of retching sobs._


	6. Chapter 5

**A New Enemy Appears**

 **Jax-42**

' _How long since I first set foot in this place?'_ Jax thought to himself as he looked around the library. The first time he had seen the large collection was when he had first begun his official training as a Warlock. Ikora had ordered him to write a report on the importance of practicing calmness in combat, which he eventually passed with flying colors (after many sleepless nights).

Eris had set herself up in a corner and had begun skimming through piles of Hive literature, most of which, Jax had noticed, seemed to be covered in some sort of flesh.

' _That's just nasty.'_ Of all the enemies he faced out in the field, none had creeped him out more than the Hive. _"Space zombies with magic,"_ one of his Titan allies had called them. Jax knew the power of sorcery such as the spells practiced by Hive Wizards, but also knew how to effectively counter them, possibly making him his old fireteam's most valuable member in that pit.

Before he could dwell on more previous memories, he heard Eris speak up slightly. "The Hive have many deities they worship, but there is one that seems to be mentioned almost obsessively in all Hive ritual books: Oryx."

His interest kindled, he sidled over to the Awoken sorceress and peered over her shoulder. He noticed that it seemed to be written in English rather than the Hive's cryptic language, and the binding was leather instead of skin.

"Is that his journal?" He had heard of Toland's writings, and she had mentioned them in his travels to prevent Crota's return, but he had never actually seen anything written by the acclaimed madman.

She said nothing, continuing to read through her partner's writings. _'Okay, note to self, don't bring up the crazy Warlock,'_ Jax thought himself. He noticed a drawing of something that looked suspiciously like Crota, but with wings and a more agile physique.

"What is that?" He pointed at the image, causing Eris to pause her page skimming. She pursed her lips, before answering, "Crota's father, Oryx." She went to turn the page, but as she did Jax noticed a strangely familiar piece of text.

"What does that say about him?" He pointed to the scripture. The Awoken sorceress sighed ever so slightly, turning her head to look at the lines he was referring to.

" _The Hive seem to have a kind of royal hierarchy that they follow. They, like the Fallen have their barons and baronesses, but they also have a sort of high royal family. They look upon Crota as their champion, but I believe that even he answers to someone: his father, Oryx, also referenced as the_ "Taken King" _."_ Eris paused, frowning slightly.

"I never thought the Hive would be intelligent enough to have a structured order past an alpha soldier," Jax mused. A daunting thought struck him. "Umm, Eris?"

"Speak, Guardian." She began humming.

"This is just a theory, but say, for instance, if a prince had been slain, wouldn't it be customary for his father to challenge his son's killer? Just like in medieval times—way, way, way before the Golden Age?"

She froze, her humming halted. "Eris?" He made sure to let his concern bleed through his voice, shaking her from her thoughts.

"We need to find the Vanguard." She suddenly stood up and began walking out at a blinding pace. Jax sighed, before chasing after her.

 **Ikora Rey**

" _Why can't these meetings ever stay on topic?"_ Ikora thought as she leaned her face into her hands. She had been listening to Cayde and Zavala argue nonstop for the past fifteen minutes, and to her credit her patience had been holding strong until now.

"…I told you, we need more field scouts out there. The Hive are always planning something new, and we need to be ready!"

"The City is our primary concern. With Crota gone, there's not telling what we are up against next. For all we kno—" Ikora had had enough.

"Will both of you quit squabbling long enough to come to a solid decision over this?!" she barked while pointing to the last of the recent scout reports and transmissions. The hunter and the titan somehow managed to quell their little argument, turning their attention to the slightly livid warlock, who breathed a sigh of relief.

"As I was saying, about the scout team we sent to the Cabal base on Phobos, Fireteam Exodus; what they reported was a mass destruction of the Cabal facilities there as well as the death of all empire soldiers there." She began foraging around in her desk compartment.

"However, when they went to further investigate, they were attacked by an unknown force that they described as 'shadow soldiers'—cabal soldiers, but they had no features or anything," she finished, pulling out a virtual holo-file that expanded, showing a piece of video feed from one of Fireteam Exodus' helmets.

The clip showed the Fireteam looking around the room, inspecting the sparse collection of Cabal corpses. _'I thought this station housed a couple hundred at least,'_ came the voice of Exodus' leader. _'If so, then where did they all go?_ ' Suddenly, the room started shaking, and mist began to accumulate in the center. All three members aimed their weapons at the mist, which projected an illusion of something: a face.

' _LIGHT!'_ came a thunderous voice. _'Give your will to me!_

Suddenly, red spots began to show everywhere on the radar in the helmet as distortions began to swirl into existence, turning into the so-called 'shadow soldiers'.

 _'Open fire!'_ Ikora ended the video, storing the data file back in her compartment under the table.

"This is something entirely unknown to us," Ikora began, "And without any knowledge or battle strategy, we cannot fight an enemy like that." The other two agreed, with Cayde adding, "Those…dark soldiers did not seem to feel pain or flinch at all. I don't feel like they are entirely conscious or sentient while they're fighting."

Zavala leaned forward. "In any case, we'll need as many Guardians on hand to scout out where this threat has spread, and a lot of research on what they are and ho—"

The Commander was interrupted by a flash of yellow-green light, after which it could be seen that the table map had been covered in the center by a glowing orb of strange essence, wherein resided a shard of some sort.

"They, are Taken."

Eris entered slowly but purposefully, with Jax tagging not so far behind. He seemed somewhat flustered by the recent events, but followed her lead.

Cayde turned to Eris with a faint look of indignation. "Eris…Get your rock…" He paused for a small dramatic flair, "Off my map." He followed up his words with a crossing of the arms.

The Awoken woman, unfazed by his quirks, resumed her explanation. "They are soldiers of assorted races, gathered, corrupted, and converted into puppets by one dark soul—Oryx, father of Crota." At the mention of the Hive prince, all faces darkened, and one by one, they turned to look at the Exo warlock standing at the back of the conversation.

 **Jax-42**

Jax didn't know if he should say something, or let someone else speak first. All he knew was that the silence was going to be the death of him if it remained as awkward as it currently was. As he resolved to break it, however, a lumbering presence behind him broke it for him.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone," Shaxx announced. "I had to finish some Crucible paperwork. Something about a few broken or misplaced bones, and a spinal fracture. All hellish nightma—" He noticed the dark mood, and instantly shut up.

"What you've missed, Lord Shaxx, is that Crota's vengeance has returned," Eris loomed behind his ear. "In the form of his dark and twisted father, Oryx."

The Crucible handler's eyes widened as he brought all the information in, pursing his lips before he flipped around and made a beeline for his desk. Everyone's eyes followed the giant Titan, as he rummaged around behind his station in a chest unseen by anyone else, before he pulled out something that looked like assorted rolled-up papers.

"Looks like we'll be needing these after all then," Shaxx declared as he promptly dropped all the papers on the Vanguard table, unrolling them to reveal weapon and armor designs and schematics. One schematic in particular stood out to Jax—what looked to be an oddly large fusion rifle, only the plans seemed to be partial, like they were torn into parts.

"What exactly is this one?" he asked. Shaxx rotated to observe what he spoke of, before giving the warlock an 'I have no clue' look. "It's one of the original Warmind weapon designs. Comes from before the Golden Age, apparently, since rumor has it that it was designed before Rasputin himself."

Jax couldn't believe that anything except the Traveler was older than the grizzled Warmind that he had saved and clashed with in multiple previous encounters. Clyde phased into existence, saying, "Its description says that it's a high-focus energy weapon, almost like a laser shot of solar power. Why does that sound so familiar…?" Jax gave him a knowing look, before mentally sending his ghost the memory he was searching for.

"Of course!" shouted the little machine, startling the other occupants of the room. "We've seen a similar design in another pre-Golden Age prototype." Cayde-6 motioned for him to continue.

"There was a line of sniper rifle prototypes that yielded a few working models, which were powered by a self-reactive fusion complex—essentially a miniature nuclear reactor inside a rifle. These models are the rarest weapons known to us, as only one has been recorded since the Collapse—The Ice Breaker."

At this, his companion pulls out his prized sniper rifle—a gray weapon with various streaks of red and yellow that loudly hums with power. "Previously, we had assumed this was one of only two exotic weapons with which we could find ties to Rasputin, but with this one…" Clyde and Jax engaged in a short mental conversation about something, before turning to the Crucible handler. "We would like to ask to commandeer this design piece for research, if we may, Lord Shaxx," the Ghost began, to which Shaxx shrugged.

"Doesn't matter to me. I can't get out of this tower often, so I can't find the missing pieces." He pauses, before continuing, "Although, if you are going to go looking for them, I'd start at the Omnigul breach site. I think that she might have been after a similar goal, if not this exact one."

Before the Warlock and his Ghost can continue any more questions, however, they are interrupted by a cough from a certain Awoken sorceress. All eyes turned to Eris, standing with a somewhat affronted expression.

"I believe we have a somewhat urgent situation on our hands, so if it's not too much trouble, I believe I have an idea on where to start." The Vanguards shuffled their feet, save for Zavala—always proud—and, along with Jax and the Crucible handler, gathered around the table to listen for Eris' instructions.

However, one figure began to slip away—not unnoticed. "Cayde!" Zavala called. "Our discussion has yet to be finished!" The Exo looked over his shoulder as he continued walking away.

"Oh, I know." He turned to the doorway. "That's why I'm leaving."

Eris sighed, shaking her head. "He'll find out about this anyways. He always skipped lessons as a trainee, and somehow always knew the material." She waved it away.

"As I was saying," she began, explaining her plan to the Guardians. Jax, Clyde, Ikora Rey, Zavala, and Shaxx all listened intently as she detailed who would accomplish what, and what was required. However, the Exo warlock was not paying attention to her plan, but instead to his beautiful young friend in front of him.

During his admiration of the Awoken Huntress, his Ghost opened a telepathic link. _"Can you please pay attention to her words and not her looks for once? We need to do this, and it seems like these Taken are quite the threat."_ Jax grumbled, to which Clyde furthered his argument: _"Besides, I think she values intelligence above brawn and strength, so pay attention to her words. A woman likes it when a man listens."_

Jax instantly straightened up, intent on listening to this plan of hers. Admiration would come later, he reminded himself.

 _ **Hey guys (and gals). It took me a while, but I got this chapter done. I was busy with finals and stuff, so forgive me for not posting sooner. I also happened to get struck with strep throat, so that definitely did not help.**_

 _ **I want to give a shoutout to another great author on this site, f1manoz. Great Mass Effect stories revolving around Tali and MShep, so go check it out if you like that.**_

 _ **Now, this chapter was a lot longer (at least, it felt like it to me), so please forgive me if it goes in many directions at once. I had a lot of ideas come to me at once while writing this, so it may seem confusing at times. In fact, I wrote the first half and the second half almost a year apart, so I really don't know how well this story can go from her. I will do my best to take this, and my FNAF one, as far as I can bear to. I love you guys, so please let me know what to do. See ya.**_


	7. So Sorry This Is Taking So Long

Hey guys, I know it's been fucking forever since I updated any of these stories, but I have not given up on any of them. I just get distracted very easily, not to mention that I've been so focused on getting my Eagle scout for a while.

But no matter. I'm here, I'm writing, and I'll have something for you. I know you all hate chapter updates that are like this, but I just wanted to reassure you guys that I'm still working on writing. I thoroughly enjoy writing these stories, and I hope you all do too. Thanks y'all!

P.S: I may or may not have another story in the works. I'll give you a hint as to which universe: Protocol 3.


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